Lexar Doubles SD Storage Capacity With 128GB SDXC Card

Lexar Media on Monday announced the first 128GB SDXC secure digital memory card, which could help products like digital cameras store more video and images.

The Lexar Professional 133x SDXC cards will be double the capacity of current SDXC cards, which are available in capacities of up to 64GB. The company also announced a 133x SDXC card with a storage capacity of 64GB.

The products were announced ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show, which will be held in Las Vegas between Jan. 6 and Jan. 9.

SD cards are removable media that can be slotted into devices to store images, video or other data. SD cards are commonly used for storage in smartphones, digital cameras, camcorders, navigation systems, gaming consoles and laptops.

SDXC is the new specification that allows for cards to reach a theoretical storage capacity of up to 2TB, with data transfer rates of 104MB per second.

However, many devices still carry slots based on the older SD and SDHC specifications, which offer storage capacities of up to 32GB. The SD Association, which defines the SD standards, is also developing a standard that will include a bus that transfers data at 300MB per second.

Lexar's 133x cards will fit into devices that include SDXC slots, and will transfer data at around 20MB per second, the company said in a statement. The faster bus will allow for speedier movement of images and video to the memory cards.

The card is targeted at professional photographers and videographers who need to store high-definition pictures and video, the company said.

The 128GB memory card is priced at US$699.99, and will be available in the first quarter of 2011, the company said in a statement. The 64GB card is priced at $399.99.